Disposable hypodermic syringes



March 14, 1967 w. A. SHIELDS 3,308,821

DISPOSABLE HYPODERMIC SYRINGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1964 m RY on E l N N R E 0 V i T N T u v M B March 14, 1967 w, EL 3,308,821

DISPOSABLE HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Filed March 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2all/Ill INVENTOR WALTER A. SHIELDS ATTORNEY United States Patent3,308,821 DISPOSABLE HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Walter A. Shields, Jamaica,N.Y. (38-09 24th St., Long Island City, N.Y. 11101) Filed Mar. 23, 1964,Ser. No. 353,666 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-218) This invention relates to adisposable syringe embodying 'a vial containing a liquid medicament,hypodermic needle secured in one end of the vial and plunger closing theopposite end of the vial and operative to expel the liquid medicamentfrom the vial through the hypodermic needle.

It is an object of the invention to seal the liquid medicament in thevial from the hypodermic needle until the plunger is actuated to expelthe liquid medicament when the seal is broken and the liquid medicamentis expelled through the needle.

It is another object of the invention to provide 'a seal comprising adiaphragm which will be flexed in such a manner by the hydraulic forceof the liquid medicament so that the portion of the diaphragm exposed tosaid force will converge on the point of the hypodermic needle and causesaid needle to penetrate said exposed portion of the diaphragm andpermit the liquid medicament to flow through the needle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a seal which willalso form a liquid-tight seal for a closure cap carrying the hypodermicneedle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in thedetailed description of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying 'and forming a part of this application:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the disposable syringe partly in section and incondition for storage or shipping;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the syringe partly in section and showing theplunger being actuated to break the seal and expel the medicament fromthe vial;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of theend portion of the vial provided with the seal and the hypodermic needlewith the seal in normal sealing condition;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 and showing the seal beingpunctured by the hypodermic needle under the hydraulc force of theliquid medicament;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the seal; and

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the seal looking at the right hand side ofFIGURE 5.

The embodiment of the invention comprises a vial 7 of transparentmaterial, such as glass or the like, having both ends open 'and theopening in one end being substantially of the same diameter as thediameter of the vial, as shown at 8 in FIGURES 1 and 2, and closed by aplunger 9 of resilient material, such as rubber, and havingliquidsealing rings 10 to contact the inner surface of the vial andpermit sliding movement of the plunger in the vial. The plunger 9 isprovided with a screw-threaded stud 11 projecting from the exposed endof the plunger and into the open end 8, as shown in FIGURE 1.

After the plunger 9 is properly positioned in the open end 8 of the vial7, said vial is filled with a liquid medicament in through the oppositeend of the vial. Said opposite open end is provided with a neck portion12 having a beaded mouth 13. The neck portion 12 is sealed by adiaphragm of resilient and penetrable material, such as rubber orcomposition, and comprises an annular gasket portion 14 engaged on theouter end of the beaded mouth 13, and an inverted dome shaped portionconsisting of a relatively thin and flexible annular side wall 15extending from the inner side and outer end of the gasket portion 14 inan arcuate or curved direction and terminating in a wall having a stiffannular section 16 of increased 3,308,821 Patented Mar. 14, 1967thickness adjacent to the annular wall 15 and a thin center section 17,as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

The diaphragm 14-17 is retained on the mouth 13 with the dome shapedportion 15-17 extended into said mouth by a cap member comprising askirt portion 18 having the extremity adapted to be crimped under theinner end of the beaded mouth 13, as shown at 19. A shoulder 20 isextended inwardly from the skirt portion 18 to engage and compress thediaphragm gasket portion 14 against the mouth 13. A conical portion 21is extended from the inner circumference of the shoulder 20 andterminated in a tubular portion 22. When the diaphragm 14-17 and the capmember 18-22 are assembled on the vial mouth 13, there is formed acavity 23 for the reception of a penetrating end 24 of a hypodermicneedle 25 secured in the tubular portion 22 with the other penetratingend 26 positioned exteriorly of the tubular portion 22. The penetratingend 24 is positioned in contact with the diaphragm section 17, as shownin FIGURES l and 3. The diaphragm 14-17 will prevent the liquidmedicament m from entering the hypodermic needle 25 until the plunger 9is pushed into the vial 7.

The diaphragm 14-17 may be assembled on the vial mouth 13 by either oftwo methods. One method is the positioning of the gasket portion 14 onthe mouth 13 and then engaging and crimping the cap member 18-22 havingthe hypodermic needle 25 secured in the tubular portion 22 on the mouthwith the shoulder 20 compressing the gasket portion 14. The other methodis inserting the diaphragm 14-17 in the cap member 18-22 against theshoulder 20 and then engaging and crimping the cap member 18-22 on themouth 13.

When it is desired to inject the liquid medicament in into a patient,the penetrating end 26 of the needle 25 is inserted under the skin ofthe patient, and the plunger 9 is pushed into the vial 7 which willcreate a hydraulic pressure on the diaphragm flexible wall 15 causingsaid wall to flex toward the conical cap portion 21, as shown at 27 inFIGURES 2 and 4, and said flexing movement of the flexible wall 15forcibly moving the thin center section 17 past the penetrating end 24onto the body of the hypodermic needle 25, whereby the liquid medicamentis expelled through the hypodermic needle 25. The gasket portion 14 willform a pivot or anchor for the flexing of the flexible wall 15 and thestiff annular section 16 will prevent the thin center section 17 fromcollapsing around the penetrating end 24, thereby assuring said end 24to penetrate said thin center section 17.

The plunger 9 is actuated by any type of rod, such as a rod 28 having ascrew-threaded recess 29 in one end for the engagement with thescrew-threaded stud 11 of the plunger 9 and a manipulating knob 30 atthe opposite end.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A disposable syringe comprising a vial open at both ends, a plungerslidable in liquid-tight contact with the inner surface of the vial andclosing one end of the vial, a diaphragm of flexible and penetratablematerial and closing the end of the vial opposite the end closed by theplunger, a cap member securing the diaphragm in vial closing positionand forming with said diaphragm a cavity, and a hypodermic needle havingopposite penetrating ends and secured in the cap member with onepenetrating end positioned in said cavity, the diaphragm comprising anannular gasket portion compressed between the end of the vial and thecap member, a flexible annular portion connected at the firstcircumferential edge thereof to the gasket portion, a stiff annularportion connected to the second circumferential edge of the flexibleannular portion, and a thin penetratable portion connected to the stiffannular portion and closing the diaphragm, whereby the hypodermic needleis sealed from the contents of the vial and the movement of the plungerinto the vial creating hydraulic pressure to forcibly flex the diaphragmflexible annular portion outwardly of the vial and forcibly move thethin penetrable portion against the penetrating end of the hypodermicneedle and causing the needle to penetrate said thin penetr'able portionof the diaphragm and the flow of the contents through the hypodermicneedle.

2. A disposable syringe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexibleannular portion is of greater width than any of the other portions ofthe diaphragm.

3. A disposable syringe comprising a vial having a filler opening at oneend, and a diaphragm for closing said filler opening comprising anannular gasket portion seated on said end of the vial, an annularflexible wall extended inwar-dly from the gasket portion into the vial,an annular 15 stifi portion connected to the inner circumferential edgeof the flexible wall, and a thin penetrable center portion connected tothe stifi portion and closing the diaphragm, whereby hydraulic pressureWithin the vial will flex the flexible portion and move the stiff andthin center portions in an outward direction from the vial.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,646,798 7/1953Brown 128-418 2,735,429 2/1956 Huber 128*218 2,870,766 1/1959 Dann et al128-218 3,084,688 4/ 1963 McConnaughey 128-218 3,108,592 10/1963 Hassinget al 128-218 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

DALTON L. TRULUCK, Examiner.

1. A DISPOSABLE SYRINGE COMPRISING A VIAL OPEN AT BOTH ENDS, A PLUNGERSLIDABLE IN LIQUID-TIGHT CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE VIAL ANDCLOSING ONE END OF THE VIAL, A DIAPHRAGM OF FLEXIBLE AND PENETRABLEMATERIAL AND CLOSING THE END OF THE VIAL OPPOSITE THE END CLOSED BY THEPLUNGER, A CAP MEMBER SECURING THE DIAPHRAGM IN VIAL CLOSING POSITIONAND FORMING WITH SAID DIAPHRAGM A CAVITY, AND A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE HAVINGOPPOSITE PENETRATING ENDS AND SECURED IN THE CAP MEMBER WITH ONEPENETRATING END POSITIONED IN SAID CAVITY, THE DIAPHRAGM COMPRISING ANANNULAR GASKET PORTION COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE END OF THE VIAL AND THECAP MEMBER, A FLEXIBLE ANNULAR PORTION CONNECTED AT THE FIRSTCIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE THEREOF TO THE GASKET PORTION, A STIFF ANNULARPORTION CONNECTED TO THE SECOND CIRCUMFERENTIAL EDGE OF THE FLEXIBLEANNULAR PORTION, AND A THIN PENETRABLE PORTION CONNECTED TO THE STIFFANNULAR PORTION AND CLOSING THE DIAPHRAGM, WHEREBY THE HYPODERMIC NEEDLEIS SEALED FROM THE CONTENTS OF THE VIAL AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGERINTO THE VIAL CREATING HYDRAULIC PRESSURE TO FORCIBLY FLEX THE DIAPHRAGMFLEXIBLE ANNULAR PORTION OUTWARDLY OF THE VIAL AND FORCIBLY MOVE THETHIN PENETRABLE PORTION AGAINST THE PENETRATING END OF THE HYPODERMICNEEDLE AND CAUSING THE NEEDLE TO PENETRATE SAID THIN PENETRABLE PORTIONOF THE DIAPHRAM AND THE FLOW OF THE CONTENTS THROUGH THE HYPODERMICNEEDLE.